Nigeria: Heavy security response at White House after reports of gunshots

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

Federal agents and police swarmed the area around the White House on Saturday evening after reports of shots fired nearby, according to AFP journalists on the scene.

U.S. President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time, working on negotiations with Iran. Access to the complex was immediately cordoned off, and National Guard troops blocked entry to the area.

Journalists covering the White House said they were ordered to run and shelter in the press briefing room. ABC News correspondent Selina Wang posted footage showing her taking cover as bangs were heard across the north lawn. 

“We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now,” she wrote on X.

The Secret Service confirmed it was investigating “reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW” and said it was working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground.

According to CNN, two people were shot and wounded during an encounter with the Secret Service near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street Northwest. The agency’s uniformed division had responded to a report of a person firing a weapon.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that the FBI was on the scene supporting the Secret Service and would update the public as more information became available.

The incident occurred less than a month after a similar scare during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, when shots rang out nearby. In that April case, suspect Cole Tomas Allen was charged with attempting to assassinate Trump after exchanging fire with agents.

As of Saturday night, it remained unclear where the shots originated or whether there was any ongoing threat. The Secret Service, White House, and local police have not released further details.